It’s a fact that sometimes Android phones work in mysterious ways, and it becomes a real pain when the ‘mobile network not available’ error shows up. While last time we presented how to deal with the ‘not registered on network’ error, it’s time to figure out the ropes for a slightly different problem.
Accessing the internet is one of the main reasons why we buy a smartphone nowadays. But guess what? Mobile network issues can make it impossible to surf the web, especially if there’s no WiFi network at our disposal. We may be on a long flight, for instance, and not having any way of going online can surely be frustrating.
Mobile network not available: why it happens
Before learning how we can overcome the ‘mobile network not available’ error message, we first need to know why it emerges in the first place. Hardware issues, network outages, as well as software glitches can all trigger the error.
How to fix the issue
There is more than just one way to solve the pesky ‘mobile network not available’ issue. Feel free to try each one at a time and see if the problem goes away or not:
Check the signal
If you’re in an area where there’s poor reception, such as a cave or a desert, don’t be surprised if the ‘mobile network not available’ error hits you. Therefore, feel free to check the signal strength and move to a different location if you’re not getting enough.
Turn off the airplane mode
If airplane mode is on, all of the wireless connections from your device will be shut down. This includes mobile data as well. Here’s what you need to do to turn off the airplane mode on your phone:
- Open the settings menu
- Select the ‘Network & Internet’ or ‘Connections’ option.
- Toggle off the ‘Airplane mode’ option.
Data roaming settings aren’t configured the right way
If data roaming is not configured the right way on your phone, don’t be surprised if the mobile network not available error kicks in. Here’s what you need to do to adjust the data roaming settings:
- Grab the Android phone and head over to the settings menu
- Head over to the Wireless & Networks section and select More.
- Select Mobile Networks and find the Data Roaming option.
- The Data Roaming option must be enabled. Toggle it on in case it has been disabled.
However, you must keep in mind that extra charges from your carrier could kick in as soon as you enable data roaming.
Don’t forget the WiFi settings!
Even in the case when your Android phone is trying to connect to a WiFi network instead of the mobile network, the ‘mobile network not available’ error might still occur. In this case, you need to check the WiFi settings in the following way:
- Grab your Android phone and open the Settings menu
- Select ‘Connections’ or ‘Network & internet.’
- Turn off your WiFi if it’s on.
In the end, you might have to reset your WiFi, Bluetooth, and mobile settings. To do so, you need to go to your Settings menu and look for the Reset settings option.
If neither of the methods exposed above works, you can simply restart your phone. Believe it or not, such a simple measure can solve many software problems, and it could also do the trick when it comes to the ‘mobile network not available’ error.
Tim M. Hill helped bring Digital-Overload from a weekly newsletter to a full-fledged news site by creating a new website and branding. He continues to assist in keeping the site responsive and well organized for the readers. As a writer to Digital-Overload, Tim mainly covers mobile news and gadgets.
